Method and apparatus for assembling sheet material



June 29 1926. 1,590,360

J. R. GAMMETER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING SHEET MATERIAL FiledMay 16, 1922 x pu U I fnvenim". Na JohnR Gammeler,

Patented June 29, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. GAMMETER, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE'B. F. GOO-DRICHCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 015' NEW YORK.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING SHEET MATERIAL.

Application filed May 16, 1922. Serial No.-561,550,

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for assembling sheetmaterial, an example being the assembling of relatively short, bias-cutstrips of rubberized tire 6* building fabric into suitable lengths to bedrawn onto a form or core in the construction of pneumatic tires. In thecase of weakwefted or weftless cord fabric, for example, 1t is desirablethat one layer or strip of the fabric be superimposed upon another, withthe threads of the respectlve layers or plies disposed at an angle toeach other, and the strlps adhesively secured to each other, in orderthat the assembled tire building strip may have sufiicient strength andresistance to distortion .properly to Withstand the stretching thereofonto the core.

My objects are to provide an improved method and a simple, accurate andeflicient apparatus for assembling strips of sheet material.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of'a preferred form of my improved apparatus,and the work in .place, with parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a part thereof, sectioned on line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a part of the work, showing the mannerin which the strips are brought together.

Referring to the drawings, 10 is a table upon which are mounted twohorizontal, aligned belt-supports, 11 and 12, having the structure ofinverted troughs with open ends, each of the same thus forming a tunnelthrough which an endless belt may pass, an each being provided upon itsu permost surliace with side guides 13, 13 or an endless Thebelt-support 12 is substantially higher than the belt-support 11, andits upper face slidingly supports the upper reach of an endless belt 14mounted u on rolls 15, 16 each journaled in a pair of standards, one ofeach pair being shown at 17 and-18, respectively, said pairs mountedupon the table 10 at the respective ends of said belt-su port, and thelower reach of said belt lying within the tunnel formed by saidbelt-support.

I eessible to the operator;

of standards being In similar relation to the belt-support 11, is anendless belt 19 mounted upon rolls 20, 21, the roll 20 being journaledin standards, one of which is shown at 22, mounted upon the table 10 atthe outer end of'said beltsupport, and the roll "21 being mounted belowand adjacent to the roll 16, in the standards 18 at the outer "end ofthe belt-support 12. The upper belt 14 thus lies directly over and inalignment with a portion of the lower belt 19, withits lower reach injuxtaposition to the upper reach of the latter, within the tunnel formedby the belt-support 12, while the rest of the lower belt, 19, extendsfrom said tunnel, its upper reach resting upon the belt-support 11,where it isac- 23 is a, belt-supporting roll, within the lower belt 19,journaled in the standards 17 below and adiacent to the roll 15 of theupper belt, said r0 ls being thus, adapted to hold the upper reach ofthe lower belt and the lower reach 'of theupper belt inclose proximityto each other.

The shafts of the belt-supporting rolls 16,

21 are provided with intermeshed gears'24, 25 and the shaft of thelatter is also provided with a sprocket (not shown) connected by a drivechain 26 with a sprocket 27 secured to the shaft of a feed roll 28journaled in the frame of a festooningnrack 29 and adapted to be drivenby any nown, or suitable mechanism. my claims, however, to this speclficmeans for driving the endless belts.

The outer faces of the belts14 and 19 d may be provided with parallel,longitudinal lines, as indicated at 30, 30, (Fig. 2), to facilitate theaccurate placing of the work thereon. 31 is a strip of sheet materialsuch as weak-wefter or weftless tire fabric rest-ing upon the upperreach of the lower belt 19, and 32 is a similar strip upon the upperbelt 14. 33 is a combination strip formed by the joinder of the two,face to face, and 34 is a leader strip which may be used to joinsuccessive tire lengths of the strip 33 so that the combined strip'maybe dra'wn in a continuous length through the festooning rack.

In the operation of the apparatus in the 100 I do not 'wholly'limit Iplying up of 'Weak-Wetted or Weftless cord fabric for tires, forexample, relatively short bias out strips, as they come from the biascutter, are successively spliced, end to end, upon the upper reach ofthe lower belt 19 Where the latter is supported by the beltsupport 11,"with the strength giving threads of said strips lying obliquely withrespect to said belt. @ther such strips are similarly joined, end toend, upon the upper reach of the upper belt 1%, over the belt-support12, with their strength giving threads lying in the same direction asthose on the lower belt 19. A continuous strip of substantial lengthbeing thus formed on each of the belts, and carefully positioned thereonin alignment with each other by the aid of the marlrs 30, 30, the beltsare driven, from the feed roll 28 of the festooning rack, through thechain 26, gears 25, etc, carrying the two strips together between thebelts i l and 19 at the point Where the latter are supported by t 15 and23, said strips being there pressed ier, face to face, with the threadsof u cross-Wise oi the threads of the o upper strip, 32, being inverted,and condition or the rubber of which are in part composed causes them totogether, torining the combination 3S. of the strip 33 each so: to formone tire may be joined by is ps such as the strip 34:, so as to estretching oi the stool: onto the @318, the leader strip being removedafter has served to pull the leading end of the adjacent tire strip ontothe core. The pliednp is c ried ii0r- Ward from the roller 23 hy theadjacent reaches of the two belts, passing between the rollers 16 and2i, nd it emerges from the latter may be d into a itestooning rack, asshown, or otherwise disposed of.

The endless belts, supported respectively by the members 11 and i2,attord the opera tor substantial supports for the Worlr during-thesplicing operation, and the spliced strips require only to he accuratelyplaced with respect to the 80, 3O ire they will be broug 1 in properregistry. A further is that the spliced strips are brought into contactwith each other progressively, whereby Wrinkles in the fabric areavoided, and are firmly pressed together so that they adhere to eachother.

Modifications may be resorted to Without departing from the scope oi myinvention, and I do not Wholly limit my claims to the specificconstruction shown.

ll claim: A

1. The method of asse nh' short, bias-cuts V or tire tively longtire-building prises splicing together relatively short strips at oneposition, si

ity of said incense 3. Apparatus for assembling tire-fabric.

comprising means for supporting a plurality of pieces or said fabricWhile the latter are being spliced, means for similarly supporting otherpieces of said fabric, and means for progressively drawing respectiveunits of the Work from said supporting means into iace-to-iace contactWith each other.

4-. Apparatus for assembl'mg tire-fabric comprising a pair of endlessbelts adapted to carry respective units of said fabric into face-to-tacecontact with each other, a smooth surfaced memher adapted slidingly tosupport a reach of one of said belts.

5. Apparatus for assembling sheet material comprising a pair of endlessbelts adapted to carry respective units on? said material intoface-to-i'ace contact with each other, supporting rolls for said beltsadapted to press. the latter together upon the Work, and means forsupporting a reach of one of said belts substantially in a plane.

6. Apparatus for assembling sheet material comprising a horizontallydisposed endless belt, a second endless belt overlying a part of thefirst belt in alignment therewith,

and means for slidingly supporting theupper reach of each of said belts.

'0 Apparatus for assembling sheet mate rial comprising an endless belt,a second endless belt overlying a. part of the first belt in alignmenttherewith, and a roll intermediiy positioned with respect-to the endmountings of the first belt and adapted to hold the latter in proximityto the second belt.

In apparatus for assembling tire building material the combination of apair of endless belts adapted to feed respective units of the Worlr intoface-to-face contact with each other, means posteriorto said endlessbelts supporting a variable supply of said feeding means associatedthere driving means *operatiyely ing means with said endbelts beingprovided with marksupon their surfaces to facilitate the positioning ofthe work thereon.

10. The method of'assembling strips of 5 rubberized cord fabric whichcomprises "pressing a bias-cut strip of said fabric onto another suchstrip, having its warp threads crossing those of the first strip,thereby forming successive lengths of the comblned stri and joining suchsuccessive lengths by 1 lea ers, to form a. continuous strip.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th da of May, 1922.

OHN R. GAMMETER.

